1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the dispensing of liquids and flowable solids and more particularly, this invention relates to an improved applicator device for applying, marking or dispersing a liquid or a flowable solid to a surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of marking devices have been devised for marking or writing with ink, dye or paint. Among such devices are fountain pens, ball point pens, felt tip pens, capillary tube pens, fiber tip pens and the like. In addition, various other applicator devices have been devised in the prior art for applying and/or the dispersing a wide variety of other types of products in the form of a liquid, a semi-solid or a flowable solid such as glues, insect repellants, oils and greases, and lubricants such as graphite and the like.
The writing, marking and applicator devices of the prior art have received wide acceptance due in great measure to the convenience of the device and the ability to retain a large quantity of material in a material container. Further, the writing and applicator devices of the prior art have received wide acceptance due to the ability to supply additional applicator material from a material container to a surface applicator at the discretion of the user.
Continuing efforts have been made in the past to improve the design of applicator devices, particularly in the mechanism delivering the applicator material from the material container to the surface applicator for writing, marking or otherwise applying the applicator material on a surface. In a typical prior art applicator device, the applicator material flows to the surface applicator only when the applicator device is held upside down allowing the applicator material to flow to the surface applicator by action of gravity. In other prior art applicator devices, the applicator device incorporated a valve allowing the applicator material to flow to an applicator tip only when the applicator device is held upside down simultaneously with the opening of the valve for allowing the applicator material to flow to the applicator tip by action of gravity. In still other prior art applicator devices, the applicator material flows to an applicator tip only when the applicator device is held upside down simultaneously with a reduction in the volume of the material container to force the applicator material to flow to the applicator tip.
Prior to the advent of the present invention, there have been various problems in the design, fabrication, assembly and the utilization of applicator devices of the prior art. Most prior art devices incorporating a valve have required an excessively large number of parts. In general, the prior art applicator devices incorporating a valve had to be filled with the applicator material and then held in an upright orientation during the process of assembling the remainder of the applicator device. Accordingly, the completed but unassembled component parts of the material applicator device had to be shipped from a component parts of the manufacturer to a filling plant whereat the component parts had to be assembled concurently with the filling of the containers. In general, the filling plants desire to undertake only the final assembly of a product as opposed to undertaking the entire assembly as required by the prior art applicator devices. This necessarily increased not only the total manufacturing cost, but also required the filling plant to provide an additional assembly line as well as to provide the quality control for the applicator device mechanism.
Accordingly, writing, marking and applicator devices of the prior art did not permit the assembly of the applicator mechanism independent of the material container which could be preassembled and shipped for final assembly at a filling plant while maintaining a low cost for the material applicator device. As a result of these and various other factors, the unit price for material applicator devices has been unnecessarily high.
It should be readily appreciated that the fabrication of the valve mechanism of an applicator device independent of the material container is a significant advancement in the art. The applicator device of the present invention allows for the fabrication, assembly and shipment of the applicator device mechanism from a single manufacturing site. Thereafter, the applicator device mechanism may be shipped to a filling plant whereat the material containers may be filled with an applicator material. The applicator device mechanisms may then be sealed to the filled material containers. Furthermore, the improved applicator device of the present invention permits a user to separate the applicator device mechanism from a depleted material container without disassembling the applicator device mechanism. Consequently, the applicator device of the present invention could be refilled by the user to thereby extend the utility of applicator device and to further reduce the overall cost of the use of the applicator device.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator material wherein the applicator device mechanism may be constructed independently of the material container and subsequently coupled to the filled material container to form the completed applicator device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator material having an increased ease of assembly herein unknown in the prior art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator material which is more economical than the prior art applicator devices through the incorporation of component parts which permit the applicator device mechanism to be assembled by an assembly machine independent of the material container.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator material which permits a user to separate the applicator device mechanism from a depleted material container without disassembling the applicator device mechanism for enabling the applicator device to be refilled by the user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing liquids such as inks, dyes, paints or chemicals in addition to dispensing a wide variety of other types of products in the form semi-solids or flowable solids such as glues, insect repellants, oils and greases, and lubricants such as graphite and the like.
Another object of the prsent invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator material incorporating a surface applicator which permits a user to disperse the dispensed material on the surface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator material incorporating a valve for sealing the applicator device to prevent evaporation of the material in the material container.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator material incorporating a valve that is moveable into an open position upon a user depressing a surface applicator on a surface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator material incorporating a material container, a valve closure, a valve body, a valve element and bias means for providing the sealing of the container as well as providing the dispensing and the dispersion of the material on the surface upon depression of the valve element upon a surface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved applicator device for dispensing an applicator material which is convenient to use for painting, marking, or applying a typewriter correction liquid to a typed document.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects and advantages of the present invention. These objects and advantages should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more pertinent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and advantages and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description describing the preferred embodiments in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.